


Just a Small Cold

by Anna_Jay



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Asthma, Blankets, Comfort, Cuteness overload, Gift Fic, Hanni Universe, M/M, Playing Doctor, Post Mpreg, Sickfic, Will Knows, Worried Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-21
Updated: 2014-02-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 09:24:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1092276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anna_Jay/pseuds/Anna_Jay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Each member of the Lecter-Graham family catches a cold, and the ones who aren't affected do what they can to help.</p>
<p>-Gift!fic for Anica</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Anica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anica/gifts).



> So finals have ended, and I'm not feeling so sure about them. I finished them about the time Anica's "Bad Day" came out, and I was having a bad day myself. Also, I am having my annual birthday/Christmas cold, so I thought "Why not write a fic"
> 
> Hanni belongs to Anica.

Will gently cleared his throat, but the small tickle wouldn't go away. He didn't notice when it started, but now he found himself drinking more and more water, trying to ease the discomfort. He figured he got it sometime during work, for Hannibal never said anything until it progressed into coughing. When he first coughed, Hannibal glanced at him from his reading before turning away, but when Will coughed a second time he gave Will his full attention.

“Are you alright, Will?” he asked.

Will waved him off. “I'm fine. The air must be drier than usual.”

Hannibal didn't look assured, but he dropped the conversation and left the room to start making dinner. A few moments later Will found a cup of tea set next to him on the coffee table.

The next day the small cough turned into a deep cough, phlegm rising and becoming stuck in the back of his throat, making him cough harder to get it out. Will denied he was getting sick; he couldn't afford to. Jack was working him to the bone with the newest case, and he couldn't afford to slip up. Plus, if he became sick, then there was the chance Hanni would catch his cold, too, and he wouldn't let that happen. He kept his fears from Hannibal, grabbing a handful of different types of throat soothing teas before he left for work in the morning. He was glad Hannibal was taking Hanni to school today.

His cough didn't improve, and Will found himself coughing more and more. Katz asked him if he was alright, but they both knew there was little they could do about it. Jack wouldn't allow him to take time off even if he had the flu. So instead Will did his job, a cup of herbal tea constantly in his hands.

By the time he picked Hanni up from school his throat had started to hurt and his ears began to itch. Will gave Hanni a quick hug, shorter than their usual after school hugs. Hanni didn't seem to notice, which Will was glad for. Will smiled and listened to his son talk about his day, chatting happily about a painting he did with one of his friends. Will made little comments or asked questions here and there, but his throat hurt too much to talk. Still, he tried, not wanting Hanni to think there was something wrong.

While Hanni seemed oblivious to Will's dilemma, Hannibal was not. With just one look, Hannibal handed him some medicine, made him tea, and told him to go lie down in the living room.

“Hannibal, I'm fine.” Will argued.

“Don't think I haven't noticed the number of tea bags missing in the pantry, Will,” Hannibal gently scolded. “A small rest will do you some good.”

Will sighed and would have argued, but with his ears itching and throat stinging every time he swallowed or talked he gave in. However, instead of going to the living room Will went to bed, instantly falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

He wasn't sure how long he slept until small hands grabbed at his sleeve.

“Daddy, are you okay?”

Will groaned and pried an eye open, looking down at the silhouette of his son's head. The room was dark, the only light coming from the hallway, meaning Will had probably slept for a few hours. Will groaned again and rubbed his hand over his eyes. His throat felt worse, and now both his nose and ears were itching. Will began to rub his face into his pillow, trying to relieve the itch before he remembered Hanni was standing next to the bed.

“Daddy's fine, Hanni. He's just not feeling too well at the moment.” He sat up and swung his legs over the side, but instantly regretted the motion. His vision began to blur and he began to cough violently.

“Daddy?” Hanni asked, fear creeping into his voice. Will wanted to reassure him he was fine, but he couldn't due to his coughing. He could feel the blood begin to drain from his face, and knew he was in trouble. He began to sway, and before he knew it he was falling back in the bed. He heard Hanni shout, which was soon followed by large hands grabbing his face. He could hear Hannibal talking and his son's crying, but couldn’t make out what they were saying. He tried to say something, but his mouth refused to move, and he fell unconscious.

–

“Hannibal, this is ridic-”

“No, William. I won't allow it.” Hannibal growled, pinning Will with a cold stare. “You are in no condition to work. You can't even stand without shivering.”

“I'm fine.” Will's throat decided at that moment it would catch, making him cough. Hannibal gently rubbed his back, handing him a cup of tea, helping him drink when his hands shook.

“You can spare a few days to rest,” Hannibal reasoned. “The university will cover for you, and Jack has plenty of other qualified workers to be on the case.”

Will remained silent, sipping from the cup and enjoying the heat from Hannibal's hands.

Hannibal continued. “You'll have the whole day to sleep. Hanni will be at the school and I'll be in the office. We'll be home around three.” Hannibal gave Will a kiss on the forehead before leaving to get Hanni ready for school. Will glowered where his lover once stood, but soon relaxed and fell into a light doze. He woke up again momentarily when he heard Hanni knock on the the door, letting himself in after Will gave the okay. However, when he tried to hug him Will had to tell him no.

“Why?” Hanni's lip trembled, never been denied a hug before.

“Daddy's sick, sweetie,” Will whispered, not trusting to speak out loud in case his voice croaked. “I don't want you to get sick either. That means no hugging or kissing for a little while.”

Hanni clearly objected to this, but he nodded his head. “Can I still get an air kiss?”

Will smiled and kissed his hand before blowing across it. Hanni giggled, and clutched his cheek as if he could feel the kiss and waved goodbye to his daddy. Hannibal, who had been watching from the door way, smiled at the scene.

“Do I get one, too?” He asked, bending over Will to reposition the covers.

“Papa, don't kiss daddy. He's sick.” Hanni warned his papa, thinking Hannibal was going to kiss the other man. Hannibal backed away from Will slowly, his hands in the air.

“I won't, I won't. Come along, Hanni.”

Hannibal lead his son out of the room, glancing back to see Will was already asleep.

–

The University was understanding of Will's predicament, but Jack was not. It took all of Hannibal's willpower not to snap at Jack, staying calm throughout the entire conversation. He briefly entertained the idea of killing Jack, but he put it away, knowing he would get an earful from Will should he ever suspect it was him. Hannibal put his foot down, and informed him that Will was not coming, whether he liked it or not. After he hung up, he waited a moment before Will's cellphone began to ring. It was a last minute decision on his part, knowing Jack would try and harass Will into coming in, and his lover probably would have followed his orders. The house phone was still available, but Hannibal had turned down the ringer, so the only way Will would be able to hear it is if he were downstairs.

Disregarding Will's phone, he prepared for his next appointment in seven minutes.

–

Will felt awful. He managed to get a couple more hours of sleep, but after awhile his body began to ache and become restless. Groaning, he took his pillow and a blanket before slowly making his way to the living room. He knew that if he got downstairs and became tired, there was no way he was going to be able to get back up to bed.

After setting his items on the couch, Will wandered to the kitchen and grabbed some leftovers Hannibal left for him. On the kitchen counter was a little note with his son's near illegible scrawl. Will was the master of reading “Hanni language” and smiled as he read the little get well note. Hannibal had also left him a note, stating he had taken Will's phone, so if he wanted to get a hold of him he would have to call on the home line. Will wasn't sure how he felt about that, but disregarded it before eating his reheated breakfast.

When he finished, he made some more tea before hobbling back to the living room. He was already tired, again. His throat felt better, but his ears and nose still itched. He even thought he could hear ringing, but he assumed it was because of the pressure in his ears. He was tempted to take a Benadryl, but decided against it. If he wanted to sleep normally tonight, then he would have to avoid taking anything that would put him to sleep. He planned on doing some work, perhaps grade some papers or look over the current case, but as soon as he sat down on the couch he slumped over on his side and passed out once more.

–

“Daddy!” Hanni called out, tripping over his shoes as he hurried to kick them off.

“Hanni, we do not yell in the house.” Hannibal scolded, helping his son get his jacket off. “And daddy might be sleeping. We don't want to wake him up.”

“Sorry,” Hanni apologized, but he was soon taking off to find his daddy.

“No running either.” Hannibal called after him, but the little boy was already gone upstairs. Hannibal shook his head and continued to remove his winter wear. He was just walking into the kitchen to start making dinner when Hanni came rushing back.

“Papa, daddy's not in his room.”

Hannibal paused and looked at the entry way. Hannibal's shoes were resting next to Will's, and Will's jacket was slung on the coat rack. Hannibal didn't like the panic that was beginning to settle in his chest. Will had been stressed over the case, and with the combination of his cold he could have slept walked out of the house.

Hannibal pushed the unease away, not wanting to frighten Hanni. “He must be here somewhere. Why don't we look around?”

“Okay,” the child replied before scurrying off. Hannibal set aside his supper preparations to look too, knowing that he wouldn't be able to put his mind at ease. Luckily, the first spot he checked was the living room which contained a Will sprawled face first into his pillow. Hannibal sighed in relief and gently rearranged his lover so he was resting on his side. Will didn't even stir.

Hannibal was readjusting the blankets when Hanni appeared, his projector y aimed straight at Will. Hannibal caught the boy before he could leap on him.

“Hanni,” Hannibal whispered. “Daddy's sleeping. We have to be quiet until he wakes up.”

“But, papa, I want to tell daddy about my day.” Hanni pouted. “I even made him a get well card.”

Hannibal smiled, but shook his head. “You'll have to show him after he wakes up. Be patient.”

Hanni scowled, but Winston soon caught his attention, and the little boy was off to play. Once he was alone, Hannibal leaned forward and kissed Will's forehead. It was warmer than usual.

–

Will woke to find something being jabbed into his ear. He raised his arm to fend of whatever it was, but as soon as his arm left from underneath the blanket he began to shiver.

“You have a fever.” Hannibal informed him, taking the thermometer out of Will's ear. Will groaned before turning over, his face smashed into the side of the couch.

“How do you feel?” Hannibal asked, running a hand through sweaty locks.

“Terrible.” Came the muffled response.

“I'll make you some more tea. Are you hungry?”

Will made a noncommittal noise, but Hannibal took it as a yes. “I'll make you some soup. Try and get some rest.”

Will mumbled again, this time Hannibal could understand it as “so cold”.

“I'll bring you an extra blanket, my dear.” With one last peck on the head, Hannibal set off to make something soothing for Will. Hanni, who had been listening at the time, rushed upstairs to fetch his favorite blanket that had dog paws all over. When he came back, he flung it over Will's body, but most of it hung uselessly off the couch. Hanni tried again, and this time he was more successful.

“What're you doing?” Will mumbled.

“You said you were cold. I brought you a blanket.” Hanni said proudly. Will made a comment, but it was too muffled by the couch for Hanni to hear. The boy stood by his daddy's side, seeing that he was still shivering. He once again rushed upstairs, this time grabbing all of his blankets before returning to place them over Will. Soon, Will's body was cocooned in an array of blankets with cartoon characters and prints. Hanni was tucking the last blanket securely under Will's chin when Hannibal walked in with a bowl of soup.

“...Hanni, what are you doing?”

“Daddy said he was cold.”

Hannibal stared down at his lover, whom he could only see his head, and fought down the laugh that was bubbling up.

“Very good, Hanni, but I think you over did it. Daddy will be too hot with all those blankets. How about this.”

Hannibal took the top blanket before folding it down to Will's legs. “Now, if he gets too cold, he can grab one when he needs it.”

“Okay.” Hanni said simply. “Papa, when is daddy getting up?”

“Probably not for awhile, sweet. Dinner is almost ready, so go wash up.”

Hannibal went back into the kitchen to retrieve a new cup of tea for Will and placed it on the coffee table next to the couch.

“Get well, soon.” He whispered, and Will continued to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bunch of blankets Hanni piles on top of Will? I used to do that to my own parents whenever they were sick. They never objected, so I continued to do it.  
> I got a tumblr~! http://indestructibleannajay.tumblr.com/  
> shoot me a question or comment if you want to. I'll be around more since I'm on my winter break.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to add two more chapters to this story. Hope you like it :D

Hannibal groaned as he repositioned the cool washcloth on his forehead and tried not to sniffle. He was always on top of staying healthy and avoiding others who might be ill. However, it was inevitable he should catch a cold, but luckily it wasn't the flu. Just a regular cold with runny noses, fevers, and headaches. It was no where near as bad as Will's from a few weeks ago, but it still hindered him. He took the week off from work, knowing better than to try in his condition. That, and Will would have made him stay home. The stubborn man would sooner handcuff him to the bed to ensure he rested than to let him out of the house. Hannibal learned his lesson from when he injured his ankle.

Staying at home wasn't so bad. Will took care of him and managed to cook decent meals for their family. Then again, Hanni wasn't picky when it came to his daddy's cooking. Will did everything he could to ensure Hannibal was well taken care of. He made him special meals, fluffed his pillow, and made him tea without being asked. Hannibal thanked Will's empathy and overall nature as he was stuck in bed. Hanni helped too by giving his papa his blankets and Little Winston. Hannibal tried to object, but Will let him know he would wash their son's blankets and Little Winston after his cold had passed. The two, above all, did not want Hanni to catch Hannibal's cold. The boy had been sick a couple times when he was a baby, and they didn't want to have him suffer through a cold they could try and prevent.

Just as they had done when Will was sick, Hannibal and Will enforced a no hugging or kissing rule and limited Hanni's exposure to Hannibal. It was hard; the little boy wanted desperately to be with his papa. It broke Hannibal's heart to have to deny his son anything so simple.

The older man sighed as he heard a small knock at the door, and he pretended he was asleep. There was a long pause before the knock came again, followed by a soft “Papa?”

“Yes, Hanni?” Hannibal replied, careful not to raise his voice. His throat had been beginning to scratch and burn whenever he talked, and he feared he was becoming worse.

“Can I come in?” the little boy asked, and Hannibal smirked. The boy must have slipped by Will who usually kept a hawk's eye on him. He must have gone to the bathroom or taken a call.

“Hanni, we talked about this,” Hannibal said. “You can't come in unless daddy's with you. Do you have your mask?”

There was a pause. “No.”

“Then you can't come in yet, sweetie. You can come in when it's time to read your story.”

“...Okay.”

Hannibal sighed again as he listened to Hanni's retreating steps. He would make it up to the boy. Just after he was well again and not so sleepy.

–

Hannibal was propped up against the headboard reading when the door opened. Will entered the room carrying a small tray of food and tea and carefully placed on the nightstand.

“How are you feeling?” Will asked as Hannibal put his tablet away.

“There haven't been any improvements, but I haven't gotten worse,” Hannibal replied. After Will put the tray on Hannibal's lap, he felt his lover's forehead.

“You don't feel as warm as yesterday,” He said cautiously. “Maybe you are getting better.”

“Is that a hint of disappointment I hear?” Hannibal teased and Will swatted at him lightly.

“The sooner you get better, the better for everyone else.” Will teased. “Hanni's been sulking all day because you won't let him see you.”

Hannibal sighed, and Will kissed him on the forehead. “But don't worry. I have something planned.”

“Oh? What is it?”

But Will smiled secretly and put a finger to his lips.

“I won't ruin the surprise. You'll have to wait 'til tonight.”

“Will, how can you be so cruel?” Hannibal smiled and cupped his lover's cheek. He tried to bring him down for a kiss, but Will evaded him.

“Nuh-uh, Dr. Lecter. No kissing until you're better.”

“You just kissed me on the head.” Hannibal countered back.

“That's different. I can kiss you but you can't kiss me.”

“Now, how is that fair?”

Will laughed as Hannibal tried to grab him one more time. “None of that now. Don't want Hanni to think we're having fun without him.”

“By the way, where is he?” Hannibal looked over at the door, expecting to see their son's curly hair peeking around the door.

“He's getting ready for the surprise, silly.” Will teased before swooping in for one last peck on the forehead and slinking off. “I'll come back in a little bit to take the tray and get you more tea.”

Hannibal grumbled after him, but dug into his meal. While he was better at hiding it than Will, he couldn't help but wonder what the surprise was going to be.

–

Hannibal looked at his alarm clock and looked back at the door. It was about time for Hanni's bedtime, and the boy always demanded a story before being tucked in. Since Hannibal was banished to the bedroom Hanni had to come to him. Anytime the boy entered the room he had to have a face mask on. It wasn't a rule immediately enforced when Will was sick, but with the health conscious Hannibal sick they didn't take any chances.

Finally, there was a tiny knock on the door and Hannibal smiled.

“Is daddy with you?” he asked.

“Yes!” Came two different voices and Hannibal permitted them to enter. The older man blinked in surprise when he saw his family. Will was dressed in nurse scrubs which had cartoon dogs and dog prints all over while Hanni had Hannibal's old doctor's coat on over his pajamas.

“What do we have here?” Hannibal asked, a grin spreading across his face.

“We're giving papa a check-up!” Hanni replied happily through his mask, squirming to get out of Will's grasp. Will set their son down on the bed, and Hannibal noticed he was also holding his old doctor's bag. Hanni crawled over to his papa and held his arms open for a hug. It pained Hannibal to gently remind him he couldn't hug him and to see his eyes cast down in disappointment.

“Now, none of that now, Hanni,” Hannibal said as he gently bopped him on the nose. “Sad little boys can't give check-ups to their patients.”

Hanni's sadness was immediately lifted as he pulled the white coat around himself. Will smiled and came to sit at the edge of the bed, plopping the medical bag between him and Hanni.

“Alright, Dr. Hanni, what should we do first? Should we check the patient's throat?”

“Yes, daddy! Um. I mean yes, nurse daddy.”

Hannibal smiled as Will pulled out a new package of tongue dispensers and a pen light from the bag. He handed them over to Hanni and he guided his son through the process.

“Say 'ah', papa.” Hanni said and Hannibal dutifully complied. After a few moments passed, Hannibal was allowed to close his mouth.

“It's so red.” Hanni whimpered. “Does it hurt?”

“Only a little bit, sweet one, but I feel much better now that you've looked at it.” Hannibal reassured, and Hanni smiled behind his mask.

“What next, Dr. Hanni?” Will asked as he tossed the dispenser away. “Should we check his ears?”

“Yes.” Hanni replied, and soon Hannibal was subjected to being poked and prodded. After the ears came the eyes, then the nose, the lymph nodes in his neck, and his pulse. Finally, Will pulled out Hannibal's stethoscope.

“Last on our list is to check the patient's heart.” Will said. Before he put them in Hanni's ears, he gave his son a stern look. “Remember, do not touch or talk into the end of the stethoscope. It can hurt you.”

“I remember, nurse daddy.” Hanni nodded and Will carefully inserted the device into Hanni's ears.

“Owie, they hurt.” Hanni pouted as the ends of the ear pieces rubbed harshly in his ears.

“Just for a little bit,” Will amended as he rearranged the ear pieces. He took the end of the stethoscope and brought it closer to Hannibal's chest. Hannibal had already opened his top and pulled it aside for Will. As soon as it made contact, Hanni winced at the sudden loudness of the scope meeting flesh, but he soon looked wonderingly as Will found Hannibal's heart.

“Can you hear papa's heart, Hanni?” Will asked. The boy nodded and both parents smiled. They let him listen for a few more moments before Will pulled the scope away.

“What is your diagnosis, Dr. Hanni?”

“Hmm... Getting better, but I think papa should get plenty of rest. And, and one Hanni hug before bed?”

Both parents chuckled and relented. “All right, Hanni. One hug.”

The boy squealed in happiness and launched himself into his papa's chest. Hannibal smiled and hugged his son close.

“We should also have two stories instead of one.” Hanni mumbled into papa's chest, pressing his ear against his heart. Hannibal laughed.

“We'll see,” He said, and Hanni smiled at the way his papa's deep voice echoed through his chest.

Will put away the medical bag before climbing on the other side and curled up next to his two boys. He took out the story book and opened to the next story in their book. As he read, Hanni remained perched in Hannibal's lap as he listened to daddy's voice with one ear and papa's heart with the other.

When the story was finished, Will looked over at his boys and found them both asleep. He smiled as he picked up Hanni and put him to bed. He returned to his room and gently removed some of the pillows from behind Hannibal so he was no longer propped against the headboard. The man stirred, but didn't wake up. Will smiled before giving him a good night kiss and slowly fell asleep as well.  


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is not "canon" to Anica's stories. Hanni having asthma is my doing. There aren't a lot of asthma stories, and I thought I would give my hand at it. Having asthma myself, I thought it would be interesting to do.

Hanni was four when Will and Hannibal first learned he had asthma. At first Will didn't know how to process the information. Asthma was, Will assumed, hereditary, but neither he nor Hannibal had asthma or knew of any of their relatives having it. But Hanni had it, and it terrified Will. The pediatrician said it seemed to be seasonal, or when exposed to new environments. Since they had Winston since he was born and Hannibal made sure the house was always spotless, neither were a factor for triggering the boy's asthma. She went on to explain that it would become worse if he became sick, especially during the winter. Since Hannibal was a doctor he was already aware of the needs of someone with asthma, but Will took in everything the pediatrician told them. She helped set them up with an emergency inhaler and a nebulizer, explaining how to use it and when it should be used.

Will nodded as he he was given some pamphlets to learn more about it, listening to Hannibal thank the pediatrician.

“And, who knows?” she said as she walked with them to the door. “Some children outgrow their symptoms. Hopefully as he grows up and his lungs develop there won't be a need for the inhaler unless it is an emergecy.”

Will hoped she was right. He didn't want anything bad happen to his boy.

–

Hanni barely needed his inhaler after the meeting, and Will thought maybe the doctor was wrong. Maybe Hanni didn't have asthma. It didn't seem to be exercise induced, for the boy would run all over the yard chasing Winston or chasing after rabbits and squirrels at Wolf Trap. He needed it a few times, but otherwise he was a normal kid. Neither Will nor Hannibal treated him any differently; they didn't want him to think there was something wrong.

However, when fall began to fade into winter Hanni started to need it more and more. Will would be sitting on the couch reading a book or watching his son play with his toys when he would hear the small, raspy squeak as Hanni took a breath. He would stop what he was doing and pull Hanni to him.

“Are you wheezing, Hanni?”

“No, daddy.” Hanni responded, but Will knew better.

“I want to make sure, okay? Can you take a big breath for me?”

Hanni looked like he wanted to object, but he did what he was told. He took a big breath, emitting a small wheeze as he breathed in and out.

“Does it hurt to breath?” Will asked.

Hanni shook his head, but when he breathed in again he looked a little pale. Will picked him up and carried him to his room where his inhaler was located. As soon as Hanni saw the inhaler, he shook his head and ducked under his blankets.

“Hanni-”

“No! I don't want it.”

“Hanni, it will help you with your breathing and you'll stop wheezing.”

“I don't care.” The little boy's muffled voice carried through the blankets. He began to cough, and Will pulled the blankets from over his head.

“Hanni, you know you'll feel better after. Just two puffs, and that's it.”

“But I don't like how it feels against my throat.” Hanni complained. Will remembered this was the problem for getting his son to take his medicine the last time. He reached into the night stand and pulled out a blue tube and attached it to the mouth of the inhaler.

“There. I talked with the doctor and she said this should help with the force of the puff.” He held up the inhaler again, and Hanni reluctantly put it in his mouth. “Alright now. Exhale and on three inhale and hold, alright?”

Hanni nodded and followed his daddy's instructions. After the two puffs Will listened to Hanni's breathing again, and this time there was no squeak.

Deeming him good to go, Will put away the inhaler and gave his son a quick hug. “I love you, you know that right?”

“I love daddy too,” Hanni replied, snuggling into Will's arms. “I love papa, too. When is he coming home?”

“Soon. He'll be home soon.”

“Okay. Can I go play again?”

Will laughed and let go. “Of course.” Will remembered Hanni saying the inhaler made him feel shakey, which Will learned was a side affect of the inhaler. Hannibal told him not to worry, but Will still felt that they should lower the dosage to one puff instead of two.

Will watched Hanni run out of the room, his footsteps accompanied by the click of Winston's nails on the hardwood, and sighed. He took out the notebook where they documented when Hanni took his inhaler, seeing how the at first small list was getting longer.

–

It was just after Christmas when Hanni caught a cold and his asthma became worse. Of all times for his baby to be sick Will was glad it was during Christmas break. The university was closed and there hadn't been any cases in weeks, and even if there were he would have told Jack to solve it himself. Hannibal didn't have to start work again until after New Years, so together they did everything they could to make their son better.

During the day Hanni was fine. He would cough and sneeze and complain of his throat hurting, but he didn't have the flu (Will breathed a sigh of relief), and his asthma didn't act up. It was at night when his condition worsened. Will would wake up in the middle of the night to Hanni's coughing and rush to his room. The boy would still be sleeping upon Will's entry, his squeaky breathing and coughing the only thing disturbing the room. On these nights Will quickly set up the nebulizer, the inhaler being useless in this case. He gently woke Hanni up and held him as he made him breathe in the vapors.

Tonight was no different. Will woke to coughing and he quietly climbed out of the bed. Hannibal was a light sleeper, and he knew his lover would be awake soon enough. He was surprised he woke first to their son's coughing instead of Hannibal, who he swore had the senses of a wolf. Perhaps it was because of his empathy, but Will always woke first, Hannibal following suit a few minutes later.

Will set up the machine and poured the medicine in the mouth piece. He gently shook Hanni, and the boy grumbled in his sleep.

“Hanni, you need to take your nebulizer.” Will gently rocked him, pulling him into his lap.

“I don't wanna.” Hanni slurred, turning his head away when Will tried to put the mouth piece to his mouth.

“Hanni, it'll make you feel better.”

“No.” Hanni argued, but he began to cough, his wheezing becoming worse. Finally, he relented and took hold of the mouth piece. After ensuring Hanni had it in his mouth, Will turned on the machine and the silence in the room was broken by a low hum.

“Deep breaths, Hanni. I'll let you know when you can stop.” Will said, knowing there would be a change in sound when all the medicine had changed from a liquid to a vapor. During the day it was easier to tell for the vapors would stop coming out of the blue flap every time Hanni exhaled, but in the dark it was too hard to tell.

Hanni nodded, breathing in and out, causing the humming to sound like scuba diver taking in oxygen. Will likened the sound to Darth Vader, but Hanni had never seen Star Wars. Not yet, any way.

A few moments passed before the rhythmic hum stopped, regaining it's one note tone. It was the only indication Will had that Hanni had fallen asleep, and he gently pinched the boy's nose shut. The scuba breathing returned.

Will readjusted his hold on both Hanni and the mouth piece just as Hannibal walked into the room. Without a word Hannibal took over holding the mouth piece while Will held Hanni.

“How's it going?” he whispered, running a hand through Hanni's curls before repeating the action with Will. The younger man sighed and shook his head. “I would like it if you woke me up instead of sneaking out of the room. It worries me.”

“Sorry.” Will apologized and gave Hannibal a quick kiss. “I... just want to make sure he's okay.”

Hannibal nodded in understanding, his gaze on the little boy in Will's arms. They sat in silence until they were sure the vapors were gone and turned the machine off. Will listened to Hanni's breathing as Hannibal put the nebulizer away. The boy's breathing was clear. He put his son back into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. He stood there watching him until Hannibal pulled him into his arms and lead him back to bed.

“This will get better when he's older, Will. This will pass.”

Will allowed himself to be pulled into his embrace, but he didn't get much sleep. His ears were trained on any sign of distress further down the hall.

–

The next day Hannibal came home from running errands with a new mouth piece designed for night use. It was similar to an oxygen mask doctors used on patients, covering the mouth and nose. This way when Hanni fell asleep Will didn't have to make sure his nose was plugged in order for him to breathe through his mouth.

However, Hanni was not as pleased as his parents were with the new piece.

“No,” Hanni whined as he was woken up the following night. “I don't wanna. I was sleep.”

Neither parent corrected their frustrated child. Hanni was starting to dread going to bed, trying to put it off for he knew he would be woken up to take his medicine.

“Once you're cold is gone you won't need to use this machine for a long time.” Will reasoned, watching as Hannibal set it up. Hanni hiccuped, and Will quickly hugged and hushed him before the boy could break down.

“I don't feel good.” Hanni complained, and Will felt his forehead and found it to be warmer than the previous night. “Sleep.”

Will rocked Hanni until the boy quieted. He noticed Hannibal had stopped and looked at him curiously. “Hannibal?”

“Let's move him to our bedroom tonight.” He said, gathering up the nebulizer. “He usually sleeps better with us.”

Will nodded and grabbed Hanni's blanket and followed Hannibal. They cocooned Hanni in his blanket and laid him between them. The poor boy was too tired to object as Hannibal fitted the mouth piece over his face. Soon after the machine was started, Hanni was fast asleep.

Will stroked Hanni's hair and sighed. “Do you really think he'll out grow this?”

Hannibal was silent for a while before placing a kiss on the boy's head. “I believe it is a possibility, but whatever happens he's still our little boy who occasionally likes to get dirty and play with dogs.” Hannibal smiled and gave Will a kiss as well. “He's resilient, like you.”

“Thanks.” Will said flatly, but a smile broke over his face.

They waited and listened to Hanni's breathing, turning the machine off after a while and making sure he was breaking okay. Hannibal was first to fall asleep, his arm thrown around Will and securing both he and Hanni in his grasp. It took Will longer to fall asleep. He listened to Hanni, but the boy didn't cough in his sleep. Will sighed and buried his nose in his son's hair. Everything would be alright.

**Author's Note:**

> I got a tumblr~! indestructibleannajay.tumblr.com/  
> shoot me a question or comment if you want to. I'll be around more since I'm on my winter break.


End file.
